Mail-pouch-catching device.



PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

H. w. G'RAFF. MAIL POUCH GATUHING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION IILED SEPT. 9,1907.

THE .vomus FETERS co., wasnmorau, mct

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRYWV. GRAFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-POUCH-CATCHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907'.

Application filed September 9.1907- Serial No. 391.961.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. Gears, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ltIail-Pouch-GatchingDevices, of which the following is a specification.

My. invention relates to devices for catching mail pouches bya rapidlymoving train, from the cranes at the various stations along the line.

With thesystem now in general use, the mail pouch is suspended betweentwo clamps arranged at the end of the arms of the crane, and the car isequipped with a catching arm which projects outwardly and forwardlyv-for delivering mail pouches from a crane to a rapidly moving car insuch a manner as to gradually impart velocity to the pouch in order toavoid excessive or injurious strains thereon, and to provide means fordelivering the mail pouches in such a manner as to avoid having thecatching arm on the car contact the pouch.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device as mentioned,which may be installed without much change in the present equipment.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists generally in a craneprovided with a socket at its end, a transfer. device comprising a blockportion adapted to fit within said socket, means for attaching or suspending the pouch therefromfan upwardly extending ring, and a catchingor receiving arm pivotally mounted upon the car, said arm comprising aninclined straight portion arranged parallel to the sides of the car andadapted to engage the ring of the transfer device to lift the blockgradually from the socket and a curved portion to receive said ringafter the block is entirely free from the socket and to graduallyincrease the momentum of the pouch to prevent shock as 'will behereinafter fully described.

My invention further consists in various details of construction andarrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will he. more'readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of a mail car equippedwith the catching device and also illustrating the crane with the mailpouch suspended therefrom, Fig.2 is a side view of the portion of thecar shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the socket at the end of the cranearm in section, the section being taken on the line of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 isa section through the socket, upon an enlarged scale illustrating thetransfer device in position thereon and the catching arm in the positionwhere it begins to lift the block from the socket, and Fig. tie asimilar view illustrating the position of the several parts at themoment the block leaves the socket.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the arm of the crane approachedby the usual steps, 2. Upon the end of the arm, I is arranged a socket,3 defined by the parallel side walls, 41 and the inclined bottom, 5 andwhich is adapted to receive the block portion of the transfer device.

6 indicates a spring arranged upon the socket portion and adapted tobear upon the block of the transfer device to prevent the same frombeing accidentally dislodged. The transfer device comprises the blockportion, 7 a depending lug, 8 having an eye, 9 by which the pouch isconnected to the transfer device and an upwardly extending ring, 10. Theblock portion, 7 is shaped to conform to the socket, 3, and the ring, 10is arranged so as to stand in a plane transverse or at right angles tothe direction of the car.

ll indicates a portion of the side of a car and 12, a doorway thereinand within said doorway is arranged the catching device. a straightportion 13 and a curved portion, 14. The inner end of the arm isprovided with a sleeve, 15 by which the arm is pivotally mounted uponthe transverse bar or rod, 16.

17 indicates a handle by means of which the postal clerk may operate thearm. The straight portion, 13 of the arm extends forwardly anddownwardly in a plane parallel to the side of the car and the severalparts of the device are so positioned that the forward point, 18 of thearm will enter the ring, 10 at substantially the central point. As thestraight portion of the arm moves forwardly through the ring it engagesthe upper portion thereof and on account of its inclination, graduallyraises the ring lifting the block, 7 out of the socket, 3 by slidingalong the inclined bottom, 5. While removing the block from the socket,the ring, 10 moves along the straight portion of the arm fromsubstantially the point, a to the point, I) and the friction of the armon the ring begins to move the pouch forwardly in the direction whichthe car is traveling. After the block leaves the socket, the ring withthe suspended mail pouch continues to move upwardly on the arm andpasses on to the curved portion, 14. As the ring moves This comprises anarm having 5 is obvious that the gradual lessening of the relativemovement between the pouch and the arm means a gradual increase ofactual velocity of the pouch until its velocity equals that of the car.By employing the transfer device described, the catching device does notcome in contact with the pouch, and as the pouch and the transfer deviceare transferred from the crane to the car without shock, the period ofusefulness of the pouch is materially increased, and the cost ofmaintaining the pouches in service is reduced to a minimum. Further,

1 it is obvious that but little change in the equipment is necessary.

Havingdescribed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent is;

1. In a device of the class described, a crane having a socket arrangedon the end thereof, in combination with a transfer device adapted to besecured to a mail pouch and comprising a block adapted to fit withinsaid socket, means for securing the pouch thereto and a ring extendingupwardly from said block, and a catching arm arranged upon a car andcomprising a forwardly and downwardly inclined straight portion, adaptedtoengage said ring and an inwardly extending portion, substantially asdescribed. 2. In a device of the class described, a crane having asocket, arranged at the end thereof; in combination with a transferdevice comprising a portion adapted to fit within said socket, a ringextending upwardly therefrom and means for attaching the mailpouchthereto, and a catching device pivotally arranged upon a car and adaptedto be extended therefrom to catch the transfer deviceand pouch, saidcatching device comprising an arm having a straight portion which isforwardly and downwardly inclinedto engage said ring, when in extendedposition, and a--cu rved portion extending inwardly through the car, subas described. 1

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. GRAFF.

Witnesses-z F. E. SHEnHr, HELEN I LILLIS.

